Performance
By JOE GIANDONATO, MS, CSCS
innervation and neural drive, mitochondrial and capillary density, contractile protein content, mus-cular force production, and subsequent power output. Lactate production and subsequent clear-ance rates also influence muscular endurclear-ance, as does hydrogen ion accumulation and buffering capacity. Also, a person’s unique system of leverages also impacts muscular endurance. Longer levers require a more forceful contraction to generate more torque than the opposing torque to overcome the resistance. This is why longer armed lifters tend to adopt a moderate- to competition-width grip when they perform pressing exercises.
Repeated dynamic muscle contractions, such as a prolonged set of 225-pound bench repetitions, are fueled by ATP. The longer the set, the more ATP is used. Individuals with a max bench press hov-ering around 225 pounds may only tap into their instantly usable phosphate compounds, whereas lifters who are capable of multiple repetitions are generating ATP through glycolyctic pathways. As the sets become longer, there are considerable contributions from the oxidative energy system, which is a commonly overlooked factor in 225-pound bench press performance. As the bouts of work lengthen and/or the rest intervals shorten, reliance on the oxidative energy system grows as it is providing the muscles working dynamically (agonists) and statically (stabilizers) oxygenated blood. The stabilizers are also working hard to provide the body with the rigidity it needs to stay locked on the bench and the heels on the floor, while also maintaining full hip extension—thus, preventing energy leaks and compensatory movements which might precipitate injury. So, if you dream of hoisting 225 pounds in sets of 30 or 40, your cardiorespiratory fitness better match your level of strength.
PRESSING MATTERS
Inherently critical to bench press performance are scapulae positioning, torso rigidity, glenohumeral joint angulation, leg drive, grip, and the ability to control your breath.
Scapulae Positioning
The scapulae or scapulothoracic joints, are freely movable, highly mobile joints. Its movement and stability is achieved through numerous muscles that attach to the shoulder blades, which include the upper, middle, and lower trapezius; levator scapulae; and the superior and inferior aspects of the serratus anterior muscles. These muscles must work in unison to reduce excessive movement from occurring at the shoulder blades. However, the bench provides artificial scapular stability by compressing the scapulae, pinning it against the posterior thorax. In spite of these compres-sive forces, the scapulae retract during the eccentric and protract during the concentric. A lack of control during the eccentric, along with excessive protraction during the lift, may increase the likeli-hood of injury—which is why the upper back should remain tight. Coaches advocate screwing your shoulder blades down and into the bench since this maximizes upper body stability and minimizes the chances of shoulder injuries.
Torso Rigidity
The torso should also be kept tight. Don’t coil up too tight during a set of max reps, otherwise your stabilizer muscles, which include the upper back, lats, and erectors, will fatigue quickly. Instead,
gradually tighten the muscles of the upper back as the set wears on. This will help you derive the necessary stability to complete the set. The lower back should remain slightly arched, with the butt making contact with the bench at all times. If the hips rise from the bench, the rep won’t count or the set may be terminated by the counter.
GH Joint Positioning
Glenohumeral joint positioning and movement of the humerus is impacted by scapular stability and torso rigidity. Ideally, the arms should not stray too far from the torso. Research has indicated that staying between 50 and 70 degrees of shoulder abduction during the lift will maximize per-formance by proportionately recruiting the agonists involved during the movement. It will also help ward off shoulder injuries precipitated by instability, such as clavicular osteolytis, pectoralis major ruptures, and subacromial impingement, which are typically experienced as the arms approach 90 degrees of abduction. Longer limbed lifters can venture into greater amounts of abduction; how-ever, it must be accompanied by scapular stability and torso rigidity at all times.
Leg Drive
Leg drive is also immensely critical. The heels should be firmly planted on the floor and placed slightly behind the back of the knees. The knees should be maintained at hip width, which will get the glutes to fire and help keep the hips extended. As fatigue begins to set in, rely more on leg drive, initiating it by digging the heels into the ground more and more as you start to lose steam.
The final few reps will require the most leg drive.
Grip
Establish a firm grip once you start the set. Don’t try to crush the bar as if you’re performing a maximal attempt. As your power output begins to wane, it’s imperative that you tighten your grip. Tightening your grip will enhance neural drive and irradiate a slew of muscles, including the muscles that dynamically stabilize the rotator cuff and further engage the lats. You should begin progressively tightening your grip once you’ve eclipsed 75% of your number of goal reps. At this point, you should add either lateral forces on the bar (if your chest begins or tire) or tug on the bar inwardly (if your triceps start to burn).
Breath
The way you respire will also have implications on your bench press performance. Become efficient with your breaths. Inhaling too deeply or minimally will greatly affect you, especially as the reps add up. Control your breath—inhale as you bring the bar to your chest and begin exhaling as you pop the bar off your chest. As fatigue starts setting in, begin to treat the final few repetitions as if they were maximal attempts. Bigger breaths will engage the intrinsic and extrinsic core muscles, bolstering torso rigidity and allowing the transfer of energy initiated by the leg drive to travel through the kinetic chain without disruption. Employing this practice will prevent energy leaks and reduce the chances of lower back injuries.
Vital Components to a 225 Bench Press Training Program
1. Directed grip training, which includes exercises to develop crushing and pinching grip strength, must be included in the program. Incorporating thicker bars and Fat Gripz will also strengthen the muscles that keep the wrists neutral, enabling the wrists to stay in line with the elbows during the eccentric and linking them together with the shoulders upon lockout. Two studies demonstrated that training with bars of thicker diameters triggers greater neuromuscular activity, potentially leading to enhanced performance on lifts when switching back to an Olympic bar (3,4).
2. Training reversal strength may also help, as it will maximize elastic contributions during the early concentric portion of the repetition. The 225-pound Bench Press is all about rapidly performed, yet controlled, eccentrics. So eccentrics and explosive horizontal rowing move-ments should be a mainstay in a program looking to maximize performance on this test.
3. While maximal strength training for the bench press shouldn’t be abandoned entirely, it should be shifted lower on the scale of priorities, unless of course the athlete is deficient in limit strength.
4. The program should entail the movement and incorporate supporting exercises, which will have carryover to improving performance of movement.
5. The training program should commence after baseline testing occurs. There will be no need to retest during the program.
6. Muscular endurance of the agonists, synergists, and stabilizers will be developed through a series of timed sets (performed dynamically and isometrically), cluster sets, and bonus sets in which the barbell is racked at technical failure and then unracked and reps are performed again following a brief rest period. Techniques such as the pre-exhaustion method for the bench press should be avoided, as research has shown it leading to a maladaptive response of tonic control of the central nervous system (1). Muscular fatigue stemming from the pre-exhaustion method creates aberrant movement patterns that may cause performance to deteriorate and precipitate injury.
7. Remember, specificity reigns supreme. If you want to get good at benching, bench often. If you want to improve your 225-pound bench reps, master your technique and improve your muscular endurance. Every aspect of resistance training is rooted in the law of specificity.
Adaptations to a specific training program are governed by numerous neural mechanisms.
Does a movement or series of movements have a direct correlation to improving a specific attribute or achieving a certain goal? The bench press and its variations have a dynamic correspondence to the 225-pound bench press test.
WEEK 1
Day 1 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by
three sets) 225 3 x During Stretch
B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch 3 :15
A2) Timed Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 75 2 AMRAP 1:00 B2) Banded Rows with Three-Second Isometric Variable 2 15
Banded Pull Apart Variable 100
Day 2 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (perform 80% of the number of reps completed with 225 lbs on day one in three sets)
250 3 x
During Stretch
B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso 3 :15
A2) Bottom Range Partial Dumbbell Presses on Bench at 30-degree incline (Only come halfway up)
65 3 20
1:00
B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isometrics (each Cluster Iso is one rep) 6-second Iso, 5-second Iso, 4-second Iso, 3-second Iso, 2-second Iso
3 5
1:00
Banded Pull Apart Variable 100
Day 3 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Three-Board Bench Press (halve the reps performed with 225 lbs and divide them over 8 sets)
315 8 x
2:30
A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2-second isometric
and 2-second eccentric 135 4 10 2:00
A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2-second
isometric and 2-second eccentric 80 3 10 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 100
WEEK 2
Day 1 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by three
sets) 230 3 x During
Stretch
B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch 3 :15
A2) Timed Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 80 2 AMRAP 1:00
B2) Banded Rows with Three-Second Isometric Variable 2 16
Banded Pull Apart Variable 110
Day 2 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (perform 80% of the number of reps completed with 230 lbs on day one in three sets)
260 3 x
During Stretch
B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso 3 :15
A2) Bottom Range Partial Dumbbell Presses on Bench
at 30-degree incline (Only come halfway up) 70 3 20 1:00
B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isomet-rics (each Cluster Iso is one rep)
7-second Iso, 6-second Iso, 5-second Iso, 4-second Iso, 3-second Iso
3 5
1:00
Banded Pull Apart Variable 110
Day 3 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Three-Board Bench Press (halve the reps
per-formed with 250 lbs and divide them over 7 sets) 325 7 x 2:30
A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2-second isometric and
2-second eccentric 155 4 10 2:00
A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2-second isometric
and 2-second eccentric 85 3 10 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 110
WEEK 3
Day 1 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by three
sets) 235 3 x During
Stretch
B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch 3 :15
A2) Timed Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 80 2 AMRAP 1:10
B2) Banded Rows with Three-Second Isometric Variable 2 17
Banded Pull Apart Variable 120
Day 2 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (perform 80% of the number of reps completed with 235 lbs on day one in three sets)
270 3 x
During Stretch
B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso 3 :15
A2) Bottom Range Partial Dumbbell Presses on Bench
at 30-degree incline (Only come halfway up) 70 3 22 1:00
B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isomet-rics (each Cluster Iso is one rep)
8-second Iso, 7-second Iso, 6-second Iso, 5-second Iso, 4-second Iso
3 5
1:00
Banded Pull Apart Variable 120
Day 3 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Three-Board Bench Press (halve the reps
per-formed with 270 lbs and divide them over 6 sets) 335 6 x 2:30
A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2-second isometric and
2-second eccentric 175 4 10 2:00
A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2-second isometric
and 2-second eccentric 90 3 10 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 120
WEEK 4
Day 1 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by three sets) 240 3 x During Stretch
B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch 3 :15
A2) Timed Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 80 2 AMRAP 1:20
B2) Banded Rows with Three-Second Isometric Variable 2 18
Banded Pull Apart Variable 130
Day 2 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (perform 80% of the number of
reps completed with 235 lbs on day one in three sets) 280 3 x During
Stretch
B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso 3 :15
A2) Bottom Range Partial Dumbbell Presses on
Bench at 30-degree incline (Only come halfway up) 70 3 24 1:00
B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster Isomet-rics (each Cluster Iso is one rep)
9-second Iso, 8-second Iso, 7-second Iso, 6-second Iso, 5-second Iso
3 5
1:00
Banded Pull Apart Variable 130
Day 3 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Three-Board Bench Press (halve the reps
per-formed with 280 lbs and divide them over 5 sets) 345 5 x 2:30
A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2-second isometric and
2-second eccentric 185 4 8 2:00
A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2-second isometric
and 2-second eccentric 95 3 10 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 130
WEEK 5
Day 1 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by two
sets) 245 2 x During
Stretch
B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch 3 :15
A2) Timed Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 80 1 AMRAP 1:30
B2) Banded Rows with Three-Second Isometric Variable 2 20
Banded Pull Apart Variable 140
Day 2 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press Eccentrics (match two set on
Day One total number in as few sets as possible) 245 x x During
Stretch
B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso 3 :15
A2) Band Hell Dropset (take to failure on each set) Variable 2 AMRAP 1:00 B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster
Isomet-rics (each Cluster Iso is one rep)
10 second iso, 9 second iso, 8 second iso, 7 second iso
2 4
1:00
Banded Pull Apart Variable 140
Day 3 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Dead Bench Press off pins (halve the number of reps performed on Day Two, distributing them over 8 sets)
315 8 x
2:30
A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2 second isometric and 2
second eccentric 205 4 6 2:00
A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2 second isometric
and 2 second eccentric 100 3 10 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 140
WEEK 6
Day 1 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (divide max reps by two
sets) 245 2 x During
Stretch
B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch 3 :15
A2) Timed Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press 80 1 AMRAP 1:30
B2) Fast Band Rows with One Second Iso (performed
bilaterally or unilaterally) Variable 2 20
Banded Pull Apart Variable 150
Day 2 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press Eccentrics (match two sets
of Day One’s total number in as few sets as possible) 245 x x During
Stretch
B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso 3 :15
A2) Band Hell Dropset (take to failure on each set) Variable 2 AMRAP 1:00 B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster
Isomet-rics (each Cluster Iso is one rep)
11-second Iso, 10-second Iso, 9-second Iso, 8-sec-ond Iso
2 4
1:00
Banded Pull Apart Variable 150
Day 3 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Dead Bench Press off pins (halve the number of reps performed on Day Two, distributing them over 7 sets)
325 7 x
2:30
A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2-second isometric and
2-second eccentric 225 4 5 2:00
A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2-second isometric
and 2-second eccentric 100 3 10 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 150
WEEK 7
Day 1 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press (perform as many repetitions
within a three-minute period) 245 x x 3:00 During
Stretch
B1) Seated Figure Four Hip Rotator Stretch 3 :15
A2) Paused Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
(three-second pause on chest) 65 2 12 1:30
B2) Fast Band Rows with One-Second Iso (performed
bilaterally or unilaterally) Variable 2 20 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 160
Day 2 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Barbell Bench Press Cluster (perform as many
sets of ten within a three minute period) 245 x x 3:00 During
Stretch
B1) Bodyweight Butterfly Glute Bridge Iso 3 :15
A2) Band Hell Dropset (take to failure on each set) Variable 2 AMRAP 1:00 B2) Horizontal Row with Descending Cluster
Isomet-rics (each Cluster Iso is one rep)
12-second Iso, 11-second Iso, 10-second Iso, 9-sec-ond Iso
2 4
1:00
Banded Pull Apart Variable 160
Day 3 WEIGhT SETS REPS TIME REST
A1) Dead Bench Press off pins (reduce the number of
sets performed from 7 to 6 and increase load) 335 6 x 2:30
A2) Barbell Hip Thrust with 2-second isometric and
2-second eccentric 245 4 4 2:00
A3) Dumbbell Row Fat Gripz with 2-second isometric
and 2-second eccentric 100 3 10 1:30
Banded Pull Apart Variable 160
WEEK 8:
Retest – Perform as many Barbell Bench Presses with 225 pounds as possible.
So there you have it—a program to get better at benching 225 pounds. If you’re a college foot-ball player, it might work wonders for you in impressing your coach or scouts. However, if you’re a washed-up meathead, you’ll be hailed as commercial gym royalty and seek solace in the fact that you could bench with college football’s best.
References
1. Brennecke A, Guimaraes TM, Leone R, et al. Neuromuscular activity during bench press exercise performed with and without the preexhaustion method. J Strength Cond Res.
2009;23:1933-1940.
2. Desgorces FD, Berthelot G, Dietrich G, et al. Local muscular endurance and prediction of 1 rep maximum for bench in 4 athletic populations. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24:394-400.
3. Fioranelli D, Lee CM. The influence of bar diameter on neuromuscular strength and activation: inferences from an isometric unilateral bench press. J Strength Cond Res.
2008;22:661-666.
4. Ratamess NA, Faigenbaum AD, Mangine GT, et al. Acute muscular strength assessment using free weight bars of different thickness. J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21:240-244.
We all have our weaknesses. And as athletes, we must make a choice to either attack them and get better or be satisfied with ourselves and our failures. After 18 years of hard training, I must admit that every once in a while I will go through a period of being “satisfied with failures.” However, this is generally followed by attacking them head on. The method of attack is one of the most important pieces of the Progress Puzzle, and it is most often the area where people go completely wrong.
Every time someone comes to me seeking out some advice, it seems as if they always end up saying, “I just took a little time off of it for some extra recovery because I’m pretty sure I was over trained and…” At that point, I just tune them out and start making judgment calls on their testicular fortitude. But I’m not immune!
Not too long ago Matt Ladewski called me out and said, “Sounds like you are just satisfied with having a very poor press…” He said it straight, and it is what friends say to friends when they need to hear it.
So, you have a weakness. What do you do? We can’t go back to the “Good Bro-ly” Internet Guru advice of
“Take some time off and come back to it later. You are probably just over-trained and burned out”! Not only does that attitude kill insane brain cells, but it also kills the GOOD ONES! Not the crazy ones that we need to deadlift big—and with deadlifting you only need a couple of brain cells, and they need to be mentally unstable anyway—but the good ones that we need to put pounds onto our bench press.
Let me take you back a bit though. Most of you know me and know that my sole responsibility in life is to take care of my son. If I get through the day without cutting off my daddy parts, and my son gets to bed at night safely, I’ve done my job! Most days it is a TOUGH JOB! If you have ever raised a child (especially if you are a stay at home Trophy Husband), then you will know that one of the biggest issues that you may have is
“what do I do with the kid all day long?!?!” When the weather is nice, we go to parks, the playground, the beach, etc. But what do you do with a two, three, or four-year-old when it is pouring down rain or “winter”
outside? Well, we can watch cartoons… but a man can only watch Thomas The Tank Engine so many hundred times before he has a nervous breakdown. A man can only watch Sponge Bob Square Pants for so many minutes before someone else gets hurt. I’ll have to admit that I was a little skeptical when my Best Man (my
outside? Well, we can watch cartoons… but a man can only watch Thomas The Tank Engine so many hundred times before he has a nervous breakdown. A man can only watch Sponge Bob Square Pants for so many minutes before someone else gets hurt. I’ll have to admit that I was a little skeptical when my Best Man (my